The Portland daily press., 1887-01-12
FROM WASHINGTON.
Startling Statistics Regarding the
Morality of the National Capital.
This Interstate Commerce Bill Like
Iy to be Re-commItted.
rSnecial to lhe Press. !


Especial to lhe Press.l
WASHINGTON, Jan. 11.-A petition was
recently presented to the Senate by Senator
Vance of North Carolina, from an organiza-
ton of this city called the Guardian League,
which contains some rather startling facts
regarding the morality of Washington. The
present population of the District Of Cclum-
bia is 203, ,459, an increase Of about Is per
cent. in the last five years. But in the same
time the number of licensed bar rooms in the
city has increased 40 per cent, the number at
presen. being 7S9, and there are also 505
wholesale LIQUOR stores, most Of which do a
retail business also, which is likewise an in
crease of 40 per cent. in five years. There
are 251 licensed billiard and pool tables, an
increase Of 90 per cent. 1t Is claimed that
there are a large number OF unlicensed bar
rooms and pool tables in addition to these
There is no law or ordinance whatever
Furnishing the sale of liquor to children
throughout the District, nor prohibiting the
children of the District from spending their
evenings and nights at public pool tables and
billiard tables, where tobacco and liquor are
sold, and where every kind Of game is played
for money As a result the proportion Of ar
rests of juveniles to the whole number of ar
rests for crime was larger in the District Of
Columbia than in any other city in the coun-
try, the present being POS. Even in. New
York, generally credited with being thewick-
edest city in America, the per cent. is only
-..l0s.a In Boston it is .lS7. Chicago .155, Gin
cinnati .11S, and Brooklyn, which nearest ap-
proaches Washington in this respect, 1t is
.2O5.
The whole number Of persons under 20
years of age arrested during the year ending
June 80, 1886, was 4,657, of whom 3,940 were
males 735 females an increase of ~ per cent.
in five years. The petition, after citing these
facts, entreats Congress ito support vigor
ously some wholesome law on this important
subject" In accordance with the request,
Senator Vance introduced bill prohibiting
under heavy penalties the traffic with minors
in alcoholic liquors, billiard playing, pool
playing, pool selling, gambling and other
vices.
Pension Bill Passed.
Among the pension bills passed by the
House on its last evening session was one
giving S12 per month to Lizzie Brown Of
Alma, dependent and crippled sister of Web
ster Brown, late of Company L, First Maine
Heavy Artillery.
The Inter State Commerce Bill.
Senator Cullom hopes to persuade the SEN
ate to sit on sthe Interstate commerce bill
tomorrow, but from the present appearance
it is doubtful if he can succeed. The oppon-
ents of the bill are firm in their opposition to
fl,ol 10, o,,1 chor baa, on mailing clan
although most of them admit that the bill
will pass. A proposition was talked of to
recommit the bill to a conference committee,
with instructions to strike out the anti-pool-
ing clause and modify the long and short
haul clause, but ON examination of the Senate
rules il was found that the President could
not entertain such motion; consequently no
such attempt will be made 1t does not look
now as though vote would be reached be-
fore Friday or Saturday.
John II. Allen of Maine has been appoint
ed to $500 clerkship in the Dead Letter
Office of the Post Office Department.
Pensions have been granted to
d. w. Morton, 0dtown.
Harrison Littlefeld, Lincoln.
e. s. Higgins, Oakland.
Increased pensions have been granted toi
Reuben HILL Springvale.
w. ID. Reynolds, Marion.
G. E. Stone, Brunswick.
Reissue and increase:
c. o. Goodwin, Lewiston.
c. b. Hawes, Union.
Passed In Secret Session.
The Senate in secret session passed reso-
luton advising the President to enter into
negotiations with Nicaragua for concessions
for an inter-oceanic canal.
Political Prescription.
A petition of Stephen A. Hackmouth, real
estate dealer, James l.. Moore, a merchant
and Carl ShurZ, ex-District Attorney of
Washington County, and the editor OF Bren-
ham Staatas Zeitung, presented to-day by
| Senator Hawley, set forth that they were
| law abiding citizens of Brennan, Washing
| ton County, Texas. who dared to believe
and maintain the right to be Republicans in
! politics" For this their only crime it
| continues, "your petitioners are now exiles
| from their homes, having been compelled to
| leave under serious threats l0f assassination
| and abandon their property or to accept for 1t
| such prices as were proffered them." The
| petition states that at the election held on
| the second of November last: "A perfect
reign of terror existed in Washington Coun-
| ty, caused by an armed band of white ruff
| fans, who, by violence and by destruction
OF ballot % boxes tree and lF tSe
| petition continues, 'made to obtain redress
for wrongs and security for life and proper
| ty has been prevented by wanton and cruel
murder of important witnesses, and by fur
ther fact that the body of state troops osten-
sibly ordered to the county to preserve law
and order, in fact acted in open concert with
| the lawless men who had committed the
| election outrages." The petition further
| AYERS that the Republicans are in the major
| ity in Washington County, but in order to
| prevent the Republicans from securing their
political rights. Three colored Republicans
| were arrested upon pretended and malicious
| charges of crime and while in the custody of
| the cruel authorities surrendered to the Ku
Klux, and hanged for the reason that the
cruel authorities of Washington County, to-
gether with their leading political friends,
| well knowing that adequate evidence would
| be obtained at such trial which would eX-
| pose their political crimes, ordered and insti-
gated the death of three Republicans" The
petitioners further allege that the Governor
| of Texas has failed to make any effort to
have arrested and brought to trial the law
less men who committed the outrage, al
| though the facts were made known to hin" Z"
| The petition concludes by asking Congress
to take such action as will remedy the evils
cited and secure to all citizens their rights.